Light has been shed on Daniel Alfredsson's decision to leave the Ottawa Senators, a move that was announced seemingly out of nowhere back on July 1.
The team's longtime captain disclosed he left his front-office job with the club "to be a stay-at-home dad for awhile," according to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun.
He'll remain in the Ottawa area, but with a focus on becoming more involved in the lives of his four sons, specifically helping coach them in the game in which he made his name. Alfredsson added he's looking to renew a sense of stability after uprooting the family for his brief tenure with the Detroit Red Wings prior to retirement.
"We just bought a house and (there) is school and sports," he said. "We're not going anywhere for a lot of years, if ever."
However, he's not closing the door on working at the NHL level again in the future.
"Who knows? If that opportunity would come back again, I would look at it very hard," he said. "It's what I know best. It's what I love, as well. I can see that in the future at some point. But when, I don't know."
Over the past two seasons, Alfredsson worked closely with former general manager Bryan Murray, current GM Pierre Dorion, and assistant GM Randy Lee, learning the ins and outs of hockey operations.
Alfredsson's No. 11 was retired by the Senators on Dec. 29, 2016.
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